1. Field of the Invention
The technical sector of the present invention is that of lighting and/or signalling devices or means for motor vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the motor-vehicle field, there is a need to be able to illuminate the road being taken by the vehicle in a “partial-road lighting mode”, namely to generate in a high beam one or more dark areas corresponding to the places where there are vehicles coming in the opposite direction or vehicles travelling in front, so as to prevent the dazzling of other drivers while lighting the road in its largest surface area. Such a function is called ADB (Adaptive Driving Beam).
It is known practice to generate this function by aligning a plurality of light sources and by controlling the switching on or switching off of these sources. However this technical solution leaves unlit slots between each light strip created by the light sources. Such a defect results from the fact that these light sources cannot be totally adjacent beside one another, the technology employed for these sources requiring a minimum distance between each source.
Document EP2278217A7 discloses a lighting module for a motor vehicle fulfilling such a function. It comprises a plurality of light emitters, each light emitter being associated with a lens and with a mirror placed behind each lens in order to send the light rays originating from the associated emitter to the lens. Thus, each assembly consisting of the emitter, of the lens and of the mirror generates a light strip, a multiplicity of light strips thus created forming an overall light beam. The switching on or switching off of some of these light strips formed vertically makes it possible to delimit a dark zone in which the vehicle that it is desired to prevent dazzling is placed.
This module of the prior art has a drawback. Specifically, the efficacy and the sharpness of the ADB function reside in a considerable number of light strips, for example twelve light strips. According to the prior-art document indicated above, this involves installing in a motor-vehicle headlight twelve emitters, twelve mirrors and twelve lenses. The space available in the headlight does not allow all these components to be housed which, in practice, prevents the use of the module according to this prior art.
Moreover, this multiplicity of components puts a strain on the cost of the function and thus prevents its installation in mid-range and low-range vehicles.
Finally, the ADB function generated by these twelve assemblies involves a management of the heat losses and an alignment of each of the twelve assemblies in relation to one another.
It can therefore be understood that the installation of the prior-art solution is the source of major technical problems.